Thanks to NetGalley, BookClubGirl, William Morrow, and Harper Collins for this copy of "The Murder Rule."

I always enjoy reading author McTiernan's books and this was a thriller.

Hannah secures a spot on the Innocence Project legal team that is working to free a convicted killer. She needs to be on the team so she can prevent that from happening.

Very suspenseful and memorable!

This was an interesting story about a young law student on a quest for justice. But justice for who?

I enjoyed this quick paced novel. This is my first book by this author, and I look forward to reading more.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the e-copy in return for my honest review and opinion.

This book follows Hannah on a quest to keep whom she thinks is a killer behind bars.

While this story had me hooked from the beginning, it wasn’t without flaws. Things happened that would never happen in real life. Makes me think the author painted herself into a corner and grasped for for a way to escape.

Great idea for a book. Not executed that well.

Likeable enough.

In 2019, Hannah Rokeby secures a position at the Innocence Project clinic led by Professor Rob Parekh at the University of Virginia, driven by secrets unearthed in her mother's 1994 diary. As Hannah delves into the case of Michael Dandridge, a man proclaiming innocence for a heinous crime, the narrative unfolds with relentless suspense and unexpected twists. Hannah's determined and enigmatic character navigates a web of corruption and intimidation, while the legal aspects of the case add depth to the gripping plot. With a satisfying conclusion, Dervla McTiernan delivers another captivating read that effortlessly immerses readers in the story until the very end.

This is classic McTiernan. Great story, characters, plot, everything! I devoured this book in about 36 hours, and definitely will be reading her next book. 4 stars!

Courtroom thrillers can be hit or miss for me, this one was definitely a hit! From the start, it engaged me. I read this one as an eARC, but I heard the audio is amazing also!

I'm between a 3 and 3.5 for this. It was an interesting concept and gave me Legally Blonde vibes (but not in an Elle Wood manor). Just in the sense that you have a girl on a mission to prove something, who becomes a lawyer and sands infront of a courthouse full of people and shocks everyone. The narration was really good, but I did find the story overall predictable.

An interesting, twisty read that I was completely engrossed in. I couldn't put it down and just wanted to keep reading. Highly recommend!!

*Thank you @williammorrowbooks for the copy in exchange for an honest review."

I’m thankful that the publishers allowed me to read and review a copy of this book. The following is my review, as posted on Goodreads:
I was really intrigued at the beginning of this book. It drew me in and hooked me pretty quickly. I thought I had figured out the mystery and was liking where I thought the book was going. *Spoiler alert 🚨- I thought this was going to be about the mom being fooled by the identity of the father and going through so many years not knowing it and I was really into that. However, when it became about trying to get money and tricking the daughter, the story line fell flat and I was disappointed. Overall it was an interesting read, but I was hoping for a little more at the end.

Hannah Rokeby is looking for a way to help her mother. She stumbles upon a Vanity Fair article about the innocence project at UVA.

She poses as a UVA law student to get an interview working as part of the project and dives in. She is trying to get Michael Dandridge to stay in jail which is not the goal of The Innocence Project. This is a dual plot book that has one plot line of the present with Hannah and her mission for her mother. The other plot line is her mother's diary.

This is a fast paced read that was well done. Some parts may have been a little too perfect and unbelievable. If you don't care about fiction being exactly realistic, it is a great read.

I look forward to future books from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC

Wow, this one gave me chills. The Murder Rule is an emotional, twisty tale that I could not wait to talk about with my friends. Just when you think you have something figured out, you get surprised in this wholly original book.

This was twisty and fun to read. A quick one which I truly could not put down, needing to know how it ended. I really enjoyed this author and look forward to more from her.

University of Maine law student Hannah Rokeby unrealistically lies her way into serving on the Innocence Project at the University of Virginia. The Innocence Project is trying to free Michael Dandridge from prison for wrongful conviction in a rape and murder case. Hannah embeds herself in the project to try to do the opposite to avenge harm done to her mother Laura, who has descended into alcoholism. The novel alternates between the present day and Laura’s diary from 1994. There are twists and incidents of intimidation and violence. Hannah is an unlikeable, manipulative character who cheats and lies to get what she wants. There is some suspense, but most of the action is not believable.

What a great book! I love everything by this author and this book was no different! I couldn't put this down and was up all night waiting to see how it ended!

This is a new to me author and I have to say I am looking forward to reading more by this author! I loved this book

In <i>The Murder Rule</i> Hannah, our main protagonist, cons her way into The University of Virginia’s law school AND onto The Innocence Project’s clinic team. The team is working on the death row case of Michael Dantridge, who was accused of raping and murdering a woman in the late 1990’s.

This novel is told in dual timelines, from Hannah’s perspective while working on the appeal, and from her mother, Laura’s diaries from the 1990’s.

I found this story to be interesting and there are a few plot twists that I definitely didn’t see coming. Quite a gripping novel.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

The Murder Rule is an addictive, twisty thriller sure to hook readers from start to finish. The characters are well-developed. The tension was taut throughout. The story is unpredictable and filled with twists. Highly recommended to anyone who enjoys fast-paced legal thrillers. Be sure to check out The Murder Rule today. Highly recommended!

I wanted more from this book. The plot didn’t hit with me. It hurt me to give 2 stars. I expected more with a cover and synopsis that wowed me.

The Murder Rule by Dervla McTieirnan has an interesting premise, but the author failed to deliver. There's a great idea in there somewhere, but the book lacked something to keep me reading and to keep me interested. Not what I expected from this at all.